Flowers for Shade
by RandomButLoved
Summary: They were going to fight in an impossible battle. He may have defeated the King of Evil in one life, but this was another war in itself. As the other soldiers bid goodbye to the families that they will probably never see again, he parts with those that he loves dearly to fight one final time; filled with nothing but regret, hope, and a flower from his daughter in his hair.


_**Author's Note:**_ So here is another one for you to read while I am away. This was written in early August so it probably won't be edited after being posted until after I come back, but do notify me if there are any mistakes or things that don't add up. Either way, it seems that I can only do angst with some happier moments thrown into the mix, because here is another one; inspired by an image on Tumblr that I found ages ago and debated whether to write something on it. Well, here it is now. Enjoy!

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ I do not own the right to The Legend of Zelda, only the rights to any OC that I create.

 _"Family is the most important thing in the world."_

~Princess Diana~

Flowers for Shade

The small child hopped through the Palace Gardens, short golden hair bobbing about her face. The sun shone down brilliantly, illumining the ground at her small feet. Excluding the guards posted all across the Gardens, the little girl was alone. The sun had risen hours ago, and the child with it. Although she was the future heir to the throne, she was far from beginning such a role yet at four. Due to her stature and tall castle walls, the girl could not see the world beyond that she would one day rule.

In the tall trees above her, small birds were cradled by their parents, tweeting their morning tunes. The child smiled at this and carried on through the Gardens, not noticing the shift in nature that day. The birds were only cradled because their parents were afraid of the darkness that clung to the ground, and their offspring were in my shape to fly away. After all, what small bird had the power to fly out of the largest Kingdom founded at that time within a few hours?

What the small girl also didn't notice was how even the sun itself seemed dimmer than usual, shining down on such a prosperous Kingdom as if to signal a dark omen to come. However, she did not notice it, nor the strange tenseness to the guards that stood around her. She skipped across the dark grey cobbles, bright blue eyes widening in awe as she passed a large statue of what many depicted the founder of Hyrule, the first Hero, to look like. From the base of the statue, water gushed out into a large basin around her.

She was able to read, however could not read the writing carved into the base of the statue as it was in the language of the Ancients. She rested her hands atop the large fountain and jumped high into the air, hoisting her body onto the stone. She peered into the water, water lilies bobbing across the surface along with other flowers that people must have thrown into the pristine water. Every time that she had gazed into the fountain, she had only seen the lilies; never the other clumps of flowers.

She was not told that these flowers had been thrown into the fountain as a plea to the Old Gods for their brethren to return from what faced them that day.

The little girl leaped from the fountain and continued her parade down through the Palace Gardens. The Palace towered above her, turrets slicing through the churning grey clouds that threatened to blot out the sunlight completely. The curtains had been shut throughout the gigantic structure, the loud laughing of nobles in court but s distant figment of one's imagination on that day. No one dared to speak, the heavy breath of death pushing down on every persons' shoulders.

As she slowed into a walk, the girl was shown looks of pity from the guards, joyous to know that the children (even ones in the Palace) were so innocent over the past events that flurried across the fine Kingdom. Unintentionally avoiding the numerous pairs of eyes that watched her from their posts, the girl brushed her hand against the white brick walls as she made her way down an open corridor, emerging in a small courtyard; her favourite part of the Palace.

The courtyard was only small, a circular platform of grass surrounded by water. The Palace walls dominated around the Courtyard, water being provided constantly for the stream outlining the courtyard from these walls. Despite the closed in space and lack of vines, the abnormal varieties of flowers dyed in a fascination amount of colours sprawled across the platform in an explosion of colour. Tall slivers of grass blew against the wind of death, the tiny but bright petals bringing hope back to the land.

She stepped forwards, forever in awe every time that she stepped into the courtyard, holding her hand against her chest. On the other side of the courtyard stood a woman with her back to the child, blonde hair bubbling from her scalp before clumping together at the nape of her back. She was peering into one of the only windows in the area, the only one that did not have curtains shrouding what was going on inside the palace. Her garments reflected her elegant figure, however the white material did not reflect how the rest of the Kingdom felt.

The Queen of Hyrule did not feel optimistic.

As the small girl danced through the festival of flowers but did not laugh. At the rustling of the plant life, the woman spun around, blue eyes falling immediately onto the child. She visibly relaxed, though only a little. "Hylena, what are you doing here?" She questioned lightly, surprised and dazed. She watched as the girl shifted out of the wide array of flowers and towards the short set of steps that the woman stood atop.

The woman's child had been named in order to honour the White Goddess, Hylia, and to pass on the holy name.

Hylena sat down atop the steps with her mother, placing sweet peas that she had plucked from the Palace courtyard in her lap. Her strapped dress fell to halfway down her shins, small pair of boots rising to her ankles, a thick ribbon wrapping around the centre of the dress. As the girl grouped the flowers together, he mother watched her with a deep sense of longing and sorrow. The mother was incredibly thankful that her daughter knew nothing of what was to happen that day, she did not want to wait for the day when she would have to explain all.

"Moma, what's going on?" Despite the look in her eyes, Hylena had sensed the dark aura radiating out from her mother.

The mother smiled sadly, knowing that her daughter would realise sooner rather than later. She would not lie to her offspring, and so took her hands in order to distract her from the flowers. "There are... some very bad people from very far away, and they want to do bad things to us." She clarified softly, knowing that this brief explanation was only breaking the surface. "And we have to protect ourselves, but that means that your father won't be here for a long time. It will be... just you and me."

Hylena frowned. "Will he come home for my birthday?" Her mother pursed her lips.

"I am not sure." This was the truth, for Hylena's birthday was within a month, so her father would most likely not be home for that date. The Queen rose to her feet, bringing her daughter with her. "They should be ready now. Shall we see them off?" Hylena smiled joyously, not capturing how her mother spoke so forlornly. The Queen watched as Hylena danced back through the courtyard and through the Palace Gardens, not moving out of the sight of her mother as she squeezed the tiny bouquet of flowers in her hand.

Her mother could only hear the voices of her Council in her mind. _"My Lady... the chances of a third of the Army returning was ever so slim to none. The chances of more of the Army returning even less."_ One had explained with a pained expression. _"But we must fight this war. If the enemy moves any closer to our Kingdom, they will decimate us. If we fight, then there could be a small chance of success."_

It was impossible.

Hylena provided this small glimmer of hope that the Council member had spoken of as she wandered towards the front of the Palace, for she wouldn't give up hope for her father (and his people with him) to return as quickly as he could. That alone would resonate throughout the children in the families of those going to war, and hopefully that would boost morale in their Army; they would return home, dead or alive, but they wouldn't stop fighting until the latter came true.

The first pocket of the Army stood before the entrance to the Palace, ready to depart for the border of their fair Kingdom. There was five-hundred present, the highest ranking claiming the border with their troops behind them. Nonetheless, this did not make the goodbyes any easier. It was pushed for the Queen to rally her forces with a moving speech, but it was neither the time or place, in her opinion.

Despite this, Hylena found her father in the midst of the crowds, bounding towards him with a sad smile. She crashed into his armoured leg, catching his attention without warning or hesitation. He whirled around, more so tried without avail, light laugh radiating across the small plain. With a smile, he dismissed who he was speaking to.

Hylena released her father, allowing him to fall to his knees and reach her height no matter how much his armour made the movement uncomfortable. "Papa, Mama said that you might no be home for my birthday..."

"I may not, but I will try." He replied simply, holding her face when he noticed her eyes welling up. "If I am not back... I will make it up to you."

She smiled. "Promise?"

"... Promise."

Hylena's lips twitched up into a small smile as she avoided his gaze. Her eyes found the sweet peas in her hand, and so she took a few and tucked them behind her father's ear, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "I love you, Papa." He smiled and returned the gesture, murmuring his response into her ear.

"I love you more."

Hylena stepped away, cradling the rest of her flowers as the Queen approached. The two rose to the feet, blade returning to its highly decorated sheathe. She was struggling to maintain her iron composure. "Don't cry for us." He whispered, noticing her quivering lip and glassy eyes. "We must place our faith into the Four, that is all." He held up his hand, revealing a ring around his finger. "Bound by destiny, we'll find each other again."

"She can't grow up without you."

He shook his head. "She can, Zelda, and so can you." A tear rolled down a cheek. "Duty before desire."

She sobbed once, then moved around Hylena to embrace her husband. Hylena watched as Zelda traced the scar over her husband's eye. "They all ready did this to you, Link. I don't want them to..." He hushed her, but she shook her head. "Please return to me, Hero. You have done once, so please do again..." He smiled, yet said nothing for a long time. He pulled out a small Ocarina and curled Zelda's fingers around it.

"Time, like a river's flow, it never ends..."

Their time together was halted by the oncoming of fate. The enemy was tightly approaching the borders of their land, and so they had to be met briskly. Families separated, and the clouds grew dimmer. Link repeated his love for his family over and over before he couldn't any longer, finally leaving his family's side. Mounting Epona, he lead the first factions of the Army into an impossible battle.

Hylena raced do the edge of the knoll, waving the bouquet of flowers in the air. "Come home soon, Papa!"

* * *

He did not return home soon.

The Army had been gone for months on end, leaving the Kingdom behind in panic and fear over the welfare of their families along with the future of the blessed lands that they stood on. Even Hylena began to fear for her father when he did not return for her birthday, even if she still chose to enjoy the special day as much as possible. She spent whatever time that she could near her mother, which was very little indeed, and other time alone in the Palace Gardens surrounded by the sweet fragrances of flowers.

The Queen, on the other hand, was unable to distract herself in any way, fighting the battle from her place in the palace with all of the politics and fine details that came with War as well. Despite the constant storm swirling in her heart and mind, she made the time to stay near her daughter in a feeble attempt to comfort herself and Hylena too. The two of them prayed fervently for the safe return of their subjects and family, knowing that the Golden Goddesses would protect the people fighting for them.

But it was impossible for it to be won.

The Kingdom's doom seemed inevitable, the pauses between battle reports growing longer and the details decreasing with every report that returned to the Palace. The war was not turning in their favour, and it was clear that the enemy would take whatever spoils that they could. But the Army still fought on as much as it possibly could, determined to take the slim chances of victory with both hands. The war raged on for more months on end, parts even spreading into Hyrule, though there was no sights of victory.

Then, as if by the will of the Three, the Army returned. Hylena's father was not among them. No matter how long they waited at the gates, there was no sign of him.

They had won because of his sacrifice, one hidden from Hylena along with the rest of the War.

A year had passed since the battle turned victorious.

The small child hopped through the Palace Gardens, short golden hair bobbing about her face. The sun shone down brilliantly, illumining the ground at her small feet. Excluding the guards posted all across the Gardens, the little girl was alone. The sun had risen hours ago, and the child with it. Although she was the future heir to the throne, she was far from beginning such a role yet at four. Due to her stature and tall castle walls, the girl could not see the world beyond that she would one day rule.

Hylena, who was now beginning to understand the world as it prospered around her, found her mother standing in the same place that she had a little over a year before, clutching something tightly in her gloved hands. However, the child caught her mother's attention near immediately simply with her presence that the Queen could sense, causing her to turn around slowly. While she bared no tears, her heart cried on the inside as she crossed the courtyard in order to meet her child.

Neither the mother nor child uttered a single word as Hylena merely accepted the small bunch of sweet peas that the Queen passed down onto her, smiling ruefully. The two stood in the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by a large mass of plant life in a variety of colours, staring down at the slab of stone welded into the ground; clearing out most of the flowers. The Queen stood at a distance, hands clasped tightly together, watching intently.

Hylena, having done this many times before, knelt before the stone, tracing letters with her fingers. The words formed a name, rank, date, and blessing. "Moma finally told me what happened." She whispered to the ground. "I want you back home because you broke your promise but... you're safe. I'll see you soon, Papa, I promise!" With a smile, she placed the sweet peas down onto the stone, sun shining down brilliantly onto the memorial.

She returned to her mother's awaiting arms, both glancing over their shoulders with tiny smiles as they walked away, duty and fate separating their family.

Yet they were not as far apart as once though, for deep in the Forest, far from most mortal eyes, a long wolf backed away from a large crag overlooking Hyrule from such a high vantage point. Golden fur rippled across its body, lond red eye scanning the gradually darkening horizon. Spirits flew past without a care, orbs of light disappearing into the darkness of the Forest behind. The children nearby, the Kokiri, did not know of such a cliff existing; leaving it void and empty for lingering spirits to wander across.

"They feel nothing but pride for you, Link." At the sound of the name, the wolf pivoted around, ears pricking upright. A small child with deep green hair and kind eyes stood still, lips twisting up into a familiar pitiful smile. "You built the foundations of their futures. You cannot feel regret any longer..."

The wolf allowed its eyes to flutter shut, turning towards the sun and releasing one final howl, light enclircling its form as the image of the wolf transformed into an armoured Stalfos. The single crimson eye found the girl's once more, being in his true form revealing a small flower hanging between the mossy chinks of his armour. It was charmed to never wither, for he stood as a spirit now.

She held her hand out. "Let's go home."

The Stalfos accepted the girl's hand, and the two walked on until the trees masked their existences; their legacies but a whisper upon the wind.

 _Go, and do not falter, my child..._

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ I do know that the flowers in the image doesn't match the story, but I love sweet peas and I thought that they fit the story. Anyway, please drop a rate and review if you haven't all ready, and I hope that you have a fab summer while I am away. If you don't have much of a break, keep working hard! :3

~RandomButLoved~


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